Chapter One Summary

The Winthrop Woman is Anya Seton's story of Elizabeth, or "Bess" Fones, who is a niece of the venerable John Winthrop. Winthrop became the first governor of the New Plymouth colony in America., and dominated his people with harsh puritanical religion and punishment. His task was huge and daunting, and he became quite cruel and radical. His relationship with his niece, Bess, was tenuous. He whipped Bess in front of the entire family for a childish act of deception and later resented her marrying his son, her first cousin. Bess was too much a free spirit for John's liking, and it fell to him to arrange her marriages and protect her, being her uncle and also father, by marriage.

Young Elizabeth Fones travels in a cart with her mother, Anne, a Winthrop, her sister, father, and baby brother to her mother's...